Pistol-stock.



J. H. WESSON.

PISTOL STOCK.

APPLICATION FILED 0:029. 1916.

1 ,228,506. Patented June 5, 1917.

INVENTOR goazfo fimmir By A tiorneys,

@ maom QWJQ 711 ENT OFFICE.-

JOSEPH H; WESSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOIR TO SMITH 8nWESSON, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATION.

PISTOL-STOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented June 5,1917.

Application filed December 29, 1916. Serial NO.'139,544.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn I-I. WESSON, a citizen of the United Statesof America,residing in Springfield, in the county of Hampden and Stateof Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPistol-Stocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto stocks or grips for pistols or hand firearms.Ordinarily in such firearms the middle frame is extended rea'rwardly anddownwardly, occupying a plane which constitutes the middle of the entirestock or grip, and the latter is built out square butt type of stock.

with cheek pieces, commonly called stocks, on opposite sides whichembrace theframe between them and supply the requisite thickness anddesirable curved contour. For lightness and also for mechanical reasonsrelating to the construction of the arm, the frame is cut out within thestock constituting an open frame, the front or rear portions, or tangs,of which have the contour of the grip and are exposed between the cheekpieces or stocks. In some pistols the stock or grip is short and roundedhaving what is known as a round butt; in others the grip is extendedfarther down, made wider, and is flat or square on the bottom, beingknown as a square butt. Manufacturers of revolvers or other handfirearms, commonl in order to meet the taste of customers, build eachparticular style or pattern of arm with both the round butt and squarebutt stock. As heretofore constructed, this has involved the making foreach type of arm of two main frames, the one having its grip portionshaped for a round butt and the other for a This necessitates a.duplication which it is desirable to avoid, it being necessary toprovide special gages and machinery for finishing the two respectivestyles of frame.

The object of the present invention is to enable such firearms to beconstructed with a uniform pattern of frame, which is adaptable toeither a round butt gri or a square butt grip, so that the only dierence which the manufacturer has to provide for is that pertaining tothe grip alone; that is to say so that for a round butt grip it is onlynecessary to apply the cheeks or stocks of the appropriate shape, andfor a square butt grip it is only necessary to apply to the same framethe appropriately shaped deeper stocks or contour is that of the gripshown in Fig. 2

cheeks having'the square butt. This avoids the duplication of jigs andmachinery and even enables the arms to'be sold to dealers with anassortment of stocks, so that the dealer may readily meet the customerswishes by'substituting either form of stock by the other when desired.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the frame of a revolver showing its gripportion provided with square butt stocks;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the revolver provided with round buttstocks;

Fig. 3 shows the rear or grip portion of the frame;

Fig. 4 shows one of the stocks therefor, for the form shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. -5 shows the grip portion of the frame;

Fig. 6 shows one of the stocks for the form shown in Fig. 1, having thes uare grip;

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation o the construction'shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4,one of the grips being in section;

Fig. 8 is a similar rear elevation showing the construction of Figs. 1,5 and 6;

Fig. 9 shows in perspective a fillingv piece which, in Fig. 3, isapplied to, and in Fig. 5, removed from the rear tang of the frame;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary front elevation showing the lower part of thestock in' Fig. 1.

In all the figures A is the frame and B, B the stock or cheek pieces.

As shown in Fig.3 the frame A is formed with the usual opening a and itsexterior being that for a round butt grip; that is td say, its corners band c' are rounded and its rear face d follows the contour of the cheeksor stocks B. In every case the frame within the grip extends through themiddle thereof, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, being commonly of lessthickness, than the main portion of the frame'above the grip, and beingbuilt out to give the rounded contour to the grip by applying to itsopposite faces the cheek pieces or stocks B B or B B. If a round grip.

.If, on the other hand, a square butt grip is desired, cheek pieces oftheform shown at B B are used, each extending beneath the frame, and atthe lower rear part of the grip extending also to the rear of the framein the manner clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 6; Where these stocks extendbeneath and be yond the frame they meet each other, formmg a joint onthe medial line as, Fig. 8. Elsewhere they are recessed or cut away at esufficiently to admit the frame between them. In order to enable thetapering rear wall f of the stocks to properly join the rear face of theframe, the latter is reduced'or cut away at the. lower rear portion ofits rear tang, in the manner shown at-g, Fig. 5. In Fig. 3 this recessedportion is filled out by the insertion of a filling piece C, shownseparately in Fig. 9. This filling piece when in place is fastenedsecurelyto the rear tan of the-frame in any suitable manner,.pre erablyby forming it with a lug h entering a recess 2' cut in the rear tang, ahole .being drilled through the latter and through, the lug,throughwhich coinciding holes a pin 7' 1s driven, whereby the filling piece isheld securely in place when the arm is used with a round butt grip.

The stocks are held together, and the frame "clamped or embraced'betweenthem in the usual manner by means of one or more screws la and pins Z orin any other suitable way.-

Thus according to this invention it will be seen that the frame of thearm is precisely the same whether the arm is to be made up with a roundbutt grip or with. a square butt grip. For a round butt gripthe fillingpiece C is used and'the round butt cheeks B are applied. For a squarebutt grip the filling piece C is removed and the deeper cheeks B whichinclose the bottom and part of the rear of the frame are used.

By means of the described construction each pattern of arm is made up atthe factory irrespective of the shape of grip to be provided, and infinally assembling the arms a they are provided with round butt stocksor mg the demands of their trade by supplying.

. square butt stocks in such proportion as may If at any time the worksare found to be overstocked with one style of be desired.

grip and understocked with the other, it is easy before filling ordersto change the grip from one shape to the other.

The invention also enables'a manufacturer to provide dealers,-especially those at distant olnts, with means for more effectuallysuitsuch dealers with extrastocks or cheek pieces, so that the dealermay in a few moments substitute one for the other according to thecustomers preference.

In order to most effectually protect the somewhat thin edge on the topof the wall f when the stock is made of wood or other fra 'lematerial,the cut-away portion 9 is slig tly undercut at-m, Fig. 5, and the top ofthe wall 7 is fitted thereto, thereby forming a semi-dovetail joint.This also has the effect of -making a closer joint with the upper end ofthe filling piece C, whereby the latter is protected, this joint being,shown at m in Fig. 3.

Where the bottom front portion of the square butt stock conforms to .therounded corner I) of the frame, the latter is preferably concavedslightly and the thin edge of wood or other material at b, Fig. 6 iscaused to slightly enterthe concave so-that this fragile edge isprotected against in'ury,

the appearance when viewed from the ront and adapted to receive thesmallest stocks to be applied as cheek pieces to its op osite sides soasto expose the frame be ween them, and larger stocks adapted to fit theframe, and extended beyond it and meetin each other whereby to form alonger an larger grip.

2. A pistol, the gri of which comprises a middle frame and ateral stocksembracing the frame between them, the frame shaped and adapteditoreceive the smallest stocks to be applied as check pieces to itsopposite sides so as to expose the frame between them, and havin aportion of its rear tang-recessed, and a fi g piece for filling saidrecess, and larger stocks adaptedwhen said filling piece is removed tofit the frame, and havingv a portion fitting into said recess.

3. A pistol, the grip of which com rises a middle frame and lateralstocks em racin the frame between them, the frame shape and adapted toreceive the smallest stocks to be applied as cheek pieces to itsopposite sides so as to expose the frame between them, and havinglaportion of its rear tan recessed, and a ling piecefor filling sairecess, having a lug entering a socket in said tang, and a fastening pinpassing through said lug and tang to ho d place, and larger stocksadapted when said filling piece is removed to fit the frame, and havinga portion fitting into said recess.

A pistol, the grip of which com rises a.

middle frame and lateral stocks em racm the frame between them, theframe shape and adapted to receive stocks to be applied the fillingpiece in a portion of its rear tang cutaway, the cut away portionterminating with anundercut, and stocks adapted to fit the frame andhavmg rear walls entering into such cut away portion, the upper edges ofsaid rear wallsbeneath and conforming to said entering undercut. v

' In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence-0ftwo subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH H. WESSON.

Witnesses:

' EVERETT A. KINNEY,

o; MARSH.

